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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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The First Board of Trustees 339 ten years as superintendent of schools; he taught in Springfield, Decatur and Pekin; he helped in organizing the first Baptist church in Decatur and also in Pekin. He was alert, aggressive, and ever alive to the educational needs of his community and time. ^ Newton Bateman, LL.D. (1822*1897) was trustee ex officio from 1867-1873. Bateman was in his time one of the noteworthy figures in the state, bein(y^gj*n of extraordinary personality as well as unusual mental i K r ^ He was a graduate of Illinois college at Jacksonville. T i e entered upon his life work as a teacher by accepting the principalship of an English and classical school in St. Louis; later he was professor of mathematics in St. Charles college, St. Charles, Missouri. He left Missouri to return to Jacksonville where he served as principal of the main public school, county superintendent of schools of Jackson county, and principal of Jacksonville female academy. In 1858 he was elected state superintendent of public instruction. By successive re-elections he continued in this office fourteen years, serving continuously from 1859 to 1875 except for two years (1863-1865) when he was refused in his campaign for re-election. These years were for Bateman joyous with production. He worked earnestly and successfully to develop the efficiency of the common school system. He also prepared some seven volumes of biennial reports,, portions of which have been republished in five different European languages, besides a volume of " Common school decisions," originally published by authority of the general assembly. This volume has been recognized by the courts. In addition to his official duties Bateman, during a part of this period, served as editor of "The Illinois teacher'\ and he was one of a committee of three which prepared the bill adopted by congress creating the national bureau of education. A few months after his retirement from the state superintendency in 1875, Bateman accepted the presidency of Knox College in Galesburg where he remained until 1893. Naturally he was a most useful member of the board of trustees of the new university. He served upon the committee on course of study and library and cabinets. Alexander Blackburn (1805-1897) was a member of the board of trustees from 1867-1873. He was a farmer and teacher
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